Tennis players risk tennis elbow. Computer geeks get mouse wrist. Steve Maviglio, a preternaturally connected Sacramento political consultant, developed BlackBerry thumb," reports The LA Times.
A former press secretary for Gov. Gray Davis, Maviglio suffered a painful repetitive stress injury aggravated by compulsive use of the portable e-mail device that's become an unlikely icon of status and chic.
Some hand experts worry that what's now a boutique affliction among the gabbier circles of entertainment, marketing and politics will become more common as Americans tether themselves to increasingly diminutive and addictive electronic gadgetry.
The American Society of Hand Therapists, for instance, warns of possible injuries from improper or excessive use of hand-held electronic devices — particularly the BlackBerry, iPod and text-messaging phone, all of which rely heavily on thumbs to type or navigate menus.
